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Proposal for Professional Engineering Services <br />Sessom Creek Erosion Remediation Evaluation <br />In 2011, the City completed street and drainage improvements in Sessom Drive that included <br />pavement repairs, cross culverts and several new curb inlets. An update to the City's master drainage <br />plan is scheduled in the City's 2013 fiscal budget /year. <br />Stream Erosion - Aside from the natural erosion process that defines the bed and banks of an <br />earthen stream, the creek is experiencing several severe forms of erosion and failures throughout its <br />length. In the headwaters of Sessom Creek (upstream of LBJ Drive) where the channel is more <br />natural, the creek is incised in several reaches, tributary streams are head - cutting and structural <br />elements are experiencing erosion at the margins. In the urban reach downstream of LBJ Drive, the <br />existing slope paving is experiencing structural failures that will ultimately undermine the structural <br />integrity of the channel as well as adjacent structures. <br />Water Quality — With respect to water quality, during a field trip in March 2012, some algae was <br />present in the stream bed upstream of LBJ Drive and there was evidence of paint disposal into the <br />creek from Sessom Drive. At one point, the creek flows under a residential road and chunks of <br />asphalt are breaking off and traveling downstream into the San Marcos River. It appears that most <br />rainfall runoff from developed areas discharge directly into the system without treatment. In other <br />words, pollutants such as oil and grease, pesticides and herbicides, etc. will flow directly to Sessom <br />Creek and be conveyed downstream. While sedimentation basins have been constructed to the west <br />of the intersection of Sessom Drive and Aquarena Springs Drive to intercept sediment and pollutants <br />prior to discharge to the San Marcos River, sediment has still accumulated at the outfall of Sessom <br />Creek at the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Although sediment and sediment transport is <br />typically a natural element of a dynamic stream system, in this case, urbanization has increased the <br />quantity of sediment and its impacts on the receiving stream (San Marcos River) may be detrimental. <br />For example, Texas wild -rice, which naturally occurs in the headwaters of the San Marcos River, has <br />been listed as endangered species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and recently deemed a "state <br />protected species" by Texas Parks and Wildlife Service, and requires "clear and clean flowing water <br />in order to survive and remain viable." While it appeared during the field trip that the sedimentation <br />basins where somewhat effective in removing pollutants, their efficiency is unknown. <br />In 2013, the City, through the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Program (EARIP), will develop a Water <br />Quality Protection Plan (WQPP) for the Upper San Marcos River which will identify pollutant <br />sources and establish priority watersheds for San Marcos including Sessom Creek. <br />WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE <br />The following work breakdown structure includes a series of specific tasks to complete this project. <br />Data Collection — RPS Espey will obtain additional topographic and environmental <br />information from the City of San Marcos (including detailed topographic survey along <br />Sessom Drive to LBJ Drive), Texas State University (TSU), Edwards Aquifer Authority <br />(EAA), US Geologic Survey (USGS) and others in order to conduct the analyses and <br />assessments described in this scope of services. RPS Espey will walk the entire project <br />length, make an initial assessment and document the current state of erosion for the overall <br />system as well as at discrete locations. This includes structural failures along the concrete <br />lined portions of the channel, erosion at transitions between concrete and earthen stream <br />Page 2 of 7 September 18, 2012 <br />Revised October 9, 2012 <br />